Creating Connections Through Technology

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volume 5 issue 2 fall 2010

Star Alliance: Connecting Virtually | Tips for Creating eLearning for Real People | Tech-Worlds Apart – An Exercise to Use

Outside Expert

By Ann Herrmann-Nehdi

Chief Executive Offi cer, Herrmann International

Creating Connections Through Technologywww.watercoolernewsletter.com

The brain can multi-task, and technology

enables some serious multi-tasking.

Delivering Learning in a

Technological RevolutionIn the past few years, we’ve learned a lot about

how brains work and how people learn, and the result

has been an ongoing revolution in communication and

learning – especially electronically. The argument continues:

Is using technology in communication and learning a positive

step forward, or does it get in the way of real “human

moments”?

Let’s begin with two fascinating but possibly troublesome

concepts that connect strongly with technology. First, we

know that the brain can multi-task, and technology enables

some serious multi-tasking. Our brains can “task-switch”

by shutting down one function temporarily and choosing

another. In that tiny fraction of a second, adrenaline pumps

in – enough to make devoted multi-taskers become almost

addicted. In fact, if they’re not deluging the brain in array of

different activities, they can actually feel bored.

That brings us to the second concept: the need for down-

time refl ection. When I was a French interpreter, I spent my

day instantly translating into French, but by day’s end, I had

no idea what I had actually said. Because I was concentrat-

ing on the task, my brain did not have time to retain any

content. In fact, when we task-switch with one or more

technologies, error rates and task time can reach 50%.

So, given all that, technology in communication and learning

has several good points.

Technology allows us to offer options

so we can give people

what they need, how

they want it, and when

it’s best for them. Research

continues to show the trend

toward learner-centric learning as

opposed to what’s most convenient for your company to

create and provide. With formal, informal, and blended

learning, combining the best of the face-to-face and the tra-

ditional classroom with the multitude of technology-enabled

platforms now available, we have a huge opportunity to

provide differentiated learning so people can learn in the

way that leads to the best outcomes for the individual, and

the organization.

OOOO

By

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Creating Connections Through Technology2

Client Case Study


The 28 member airlines of Star Alliance,

the world’s longest-serving international airline alliance,

handle customers all over the world. Hundreds of thou-

sands of people work for our diverse member airlines.

With this kind of audience, providing training can be a

challenging task.

At the Star Alliance Services GmbH in Frankfurt, we

employ 70 full-time staff, who develop and implement

new products and services together with the member

carriers. We develop training for the member carriers’

employees, to ensure proper and consistent delivery of

these products and services to the end customer.

Although many of our airlines have their own training, it

is important for Star Alliance to communicate a universal

message. We need standardized training so everyone

can be trained according to our requirements. We offer

this training to our member carriers so all their employ-

ees can understand the entire picture and see that they

are an important part of a much bigger entity.

To accomplish this goal, we needed material that is

consistent, less complex, and a good value for the money.

Our training needs to target a broad audience from the

CEO to the people who handle baggage. We also have

to serve multiple cultures, so the training needs to be

easy to understand and translatable.

While an electronic solution allows the information to

get to all our locations in the most economical way, it

would not serve all our needs on its own. We cre-

ated a set of eLearning modules combined with human

interaction that includes an Overview, Basic Knowledge

modules, and Functional Training to help our member

carriers enhance their employees’ knowledge about our

A Blended Approach products and services. In bringing knowledge to the em-

ployees, we encourage people to experience the learning

together. Employees take the e-courses when it best

suits their schedules, and then share their learnings with

their peers. This interaction is an added advantage to the

learning, a benefi cial “side effect,” you could say.

We divided the Overview course into seven modules to

offer both convenience and relevance. It covers an intro-

duction; our history and industry; our vision, mission, and

purpose; our customer; our products and services; and

Star Alliance team roles and responsibilities. To reinforce

the learning, the last module allows people to practice

applying their knowledge in a scenario or branching

simulation. A facilitator’s guide for each module makes it

easy to launch and easy to provide classroom follow-up.

We communicate the courses through email messages

to airline representatives in the training area. Our mod-

ules are deployed on CDs, on a Root Learning-hosted

website, and on Star Alliance member carriers’ own

Learning Management Systems. The training is provided

in English, with carriers having the option to translate as

required. We then review the work to ensure appropri-

ate quality levels are being attained.

We have received excellent feedback on all fronts

regarding quality, how we deploy the courses, informa-

tion provided, and job aids. Whenever I introduce the

modules, people love what they fi rst see, and they like it

even better when they try it themselves!

We have found that combining electronic learning and

face-to-face training works well for us. Our new learn-

ing curriculum will be a mix of traditional, blended and

eLearning.

Carina Roennfeld-PetersDirector of Training, Star Alliance

CCCCC

CaDirSta

Connecting Virtually and In Person:

www.watercoolernewsletter.com 3

CEO Column

Jim HaudanChief Executive Offi cerRoot Learning

Are We Using It, or Is It Using Us?


Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot

just by watching.” On a plane last week, the second we

touched down, I observed most people around me

switch on digital devices to check messages and send

even more. In four separate executive team alignment

discussions, I recently observed each CEO chiding

people to put the technology weapons down and rejoin

the conversation. And then there’s the TV ad where a

girl breaks up with her boyfriend in a restaurant booth

by texting him, leaving a voicemail and an email, and

changing her Facebook status to “single.”

Like every other invention from the automobile to the

micro-chip, technology is not intrinsically good or bad.

It’s how we use it. But as it gets more pervasive (and

invasive), we need to ask, “What value can it give us, and

how do I make sure that it isn’t mindlessly taking over?”

From Mindless to MeaningfulOn the other hand, technology lets us do some

really cool things. Smart power grids tell us the best

time, economically and environmentally, to do laundry.

People bank online and visit faraway relatives using Skype.

With social networks, we keep in touch with friends.

Online resources save time and money and

give us power to customize products and services.

In our businesses, we can use technology to enhance

critical thinking, explore diverse alternatives, and scan

best practices to better drive performance. A simulation

can close gaps between choices and consequences so

leaders can build strategic judgment skills. Blogs, portals,

and other web tools

go beyond looking

up information, so

any of us can learn to solve

problems. Visually rich technologies

allow us to see what success could look like.

Once we better understand what we need to do, and

what we need to do differently, these interactive tech-

nologies can help us practice and build skills to execute

on the organizational vision for the future.

Who’s in Charge?So it’s up to us to determine when technology will be an

invaluable tool or when we let it drive us…farther apart

from each other and our aspirations for our teams and

companies. Here are three questions to help determine

where you fall on the spectrum from Mindless to Mindful.

• Are you blending technology with human interaction? In Harvard Business Review, psycholo-

gist Edward M. Hallowell explained the combination

of high tech with high touch in “human moments”

that require physical presence and emotional atten-

tion. Without reading body language, tone of voice,

or expressions, we have to guess about messages.

To his point, technology can make our lives better,

freer, and more effi cient, but we mustn’t forget that

people need human contact to maintain mental acu-

ity and emotional well-being.

• Are you helping people to deepen critical thinking through technology, or encouraging them to avoid it? Technology can clarify the big

picture, expand what we could once only see alone,

and build context for seeing the systems around us

and the causes and effects of our decisions. Most

important, technology can help us apply information,

not just cite sources.

any

problems. Vis

allow us to see what su

Once we better understand wh

Tech

nolo

gy:

Tech Worlds Apart:Which Road Are You On?

Tech Worlds Apart:Which Road Are You On?

INTERPERSONAL DIVIDE

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INTERPERSONAL DIVIDE


Try this with your team!

With the overwhelming amount of technol-ogy people are dealing with today, personally and professionally, we all have to choose one of two roads. If you and your team feel like your life looks like this sketch, gather around it and discuss these questions.

1. Driving down the High Tech Communica-tions Super Highway, both cars are loaded with tech options. Let’s start with the car near the bottom of the sketch, on the “low road” of the Interpersonal Divide. Describe this car and read the thought bubbles.

2. What are some of the distractions that this driver must deal with?

3. How is he hampered by getting messages from non-human sources?

4. How does the fact that he is on “auto pilot” affect his trip?

5. When he crosses the Path of Technology Overload bridge, what are his options?

6. What do the support beams represent? What are some concrete examples of these things?

7. Now, let’s look at the driver on the “high road.” Describe his car and read the labels.

8. How might the differences in his car serve him better than the driver on the low road?

9. As this driver heads over the Path of Smart Technology Choices, his foundationis considerably stronger. How does his future differ from the other driver?

10. What are some ways that your team or you personally can choose the high road?



Ed FrancisManaging Director, Digital Solutions Root Learning

Creating eLearning for Real People

It’s a paradox. Organizations want

to realize the benefi ts

of virtual learning and

development, but they

don’t want to risk the

loss of the “human

moment.” With the constant consumerization of

technology, it’s easy to overlook the importance of face-

to-face conversation, in-person collaboration, and live

training. Fortunately, there are three simple approaches

to address this paradox: choose virtual tools smartly,

be real, and use emotion. As with anything that involves

actual people, these approaches aren’t foolproof, and

there are occasions when one is more appropriate than

the others.

Choose Virtual Tools SmartlyWhen designing virtual tools for L&D, be smart about

it. The objective of any L&D initiative is to improve an

organization’s viability, either through improving revenue

or decreasing costs (both are foundational to almost

every performance metric). We believe in the benefi t

of virtual training, but there are times when the value of

in-person experiences (human moments) outweighs the

cost savings of converting content to a virtual setting.

When deciding on the best approach, ask yourself:

• What are my options for virtual training –

classroom, on-the-job, virtual, blended, etc.?

• What are the limitations of each option?

• What mixture of options will best meet the core

business objective?

Use virtual learning when end-users need context set-

ting, access to informal best practices, access to just-in-

time information, and introductions to processes. Use

live settings when a human moment is needed: on-the-

job mentoring, coaching, and performance management.

Be RealWhen was the last time you saw a textbook on the

list of New York Times best sellers? When you were in

school, how often did you pick up a textbook and say, “I

think I’ll read this just for the fun of it”? Very few people

like instruction manuals, textbooks, and overly detailed

and complex materials…after all, we’re human. We

like stories, biographies, simplicity, and real language. As

Millennials are proliferating in the workplace, they are

bringing their desire for real-speak rather than corpo-

rate-speak. Virtual training should address this desire

by humanizing the language used to refl ect an informal,

direct style. Stories and experiences should be shared

to make the material real. When appropriate, use a witty

approach. If you are unsure if this approach will work for

your company’s culture, simply try it on a small scale and

see how the end-users respond…you may be surprised!

Use EmotionEmotions are a powerful and underused training tool.

People remember best what they feel the most. People

engage more in an organization when they feel connect-

ed to the big picture and know they make a difference.

When using virtual settings for L&D efforts, incorporate

emotional components. This can be done in several

ways, but the goal is to humanize your end-customers.

In the retail industry, create eLearning from the perspec-

tive of a customer and let employees feel how it is to

walk in your customers’ shoes. In the biotechnical in-

dustry, create short documentaries that show how your

employees save the lives of your end-patients. We often

hear the phrase, “engage hearts and minds.” Too often,

L&D organizations only engage the mind. To be more

effective, we must engage the heart. With the prolifera-

tion of technology, this is more important than ever.

Industry PerspectiveIIInn

Fit for Human Consumption:


Technology helps us reach the once-unreachable. Whether you use social media or not, it’s clear that technol-

ogy brings people together in ways that were once impos-

sible. Electronic connections are easing the isolation of vir-

tual workers, giving them a chance to stay connected across

geographies, time zones, and generations. Face-to-face

interaction is great, but having instant access to people who

would otherwise be on their own is great too. We need

to understand the positive implications of our virtual reach,

scope, scale, and touch that just weren’t possible before.

Granted, technology has its limitations. How we harness its

possibilities and do that well …that’s our challenge.

Technology encourages innovative thinking. When

my company partnered with IBM to deliver online debriefs

of participants’ Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument®

(HBDI®) profi les – a very personal and often emotional

experience – we were concerned that technology wouldn’t

be able to duplicate the richness of the one-on-one debrief.

But once we got out of our own way, we found that we

could add enhancements that weren’t possible in a face-to-

face setting, such as faster access to information in a com-

mon language, data on demand, the ability to stop and start

any time, and feedback presented in a “safe” way. These are

advantages that we couldn’t conceptualize before.

Leaders have an obligation to rethink what we’ve always

done and how we’ve done it. This doesn’t mean we throw

out all the old ways. It will always be important to under-

stand what people need to learn and how they can best

learn it. But now, we have so many more options that let

us actually anticipate learner needs, and we can adapt, using

internal social networks as well as face-to-face and online

methods. It’s not just a challenge – it’s our responsibility

to continue to push our thinking in a much more complex

world of choices.

Ann Herrmann-Nehdi is CEO of Herrmann International, publisher of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) assessment, based on extensive research on thinking and the brain. Her book, “The Era of And,” will be published in 2011. For more information, visit www.hbdi.com.

• Are you using technology to build common mental models about things we’re trying to create together? Video, multi-media, and visual

technologies are invaluable in helping people de-

termine “what success looks like in the future” and

how they fi t into it! Some of the best documenta-

ries created today tell the past, present, and future

stories of issues and organizations. What was once

only the domain of Ken Burns is now the realm of

stories about where an organization has been and

the compelling places it would like to go.

In the end, it’s up to all of us to decide who’s in charge.

Technology has created a new world bursting with op-

portunity, but we can’t move forward without thoughtful

consideration on how we are using it.

continued (from page 3)

continued (from page 1) continued (from page 2)

We are also putting links on our Staralliance.com

website to connect people with each other using social

media.

In the end, we are providing the employees of our

member airlines with consistent and high-quality train-

ing material to learn about the Star Alliance products

and services so they feel comfortable in applying their

knowledge in their daily jobs. With this basis, they can

deliver the customer promise on a consistent level

across the entire network of 21,200 daily fl ights to 1,172

airports in 181 countries.

As the Director of Training at Star Alliance, Carina is respon-

sible for the development and enhancement of effective

learning methods for member airline staff to safeguard

the consistent delivery of the Star Alliance products and

services.

5470 Main StreetSylvania, OH 43560

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“We are in the midst of major internal integration process.

The most important thing to do now is to ensure that the

communication plan is thorough and has leadership buy-in. We

are at a stage now where line employees have heard about it

prior to planned communications so the timing is critical...”

“We bring groups of people together as early as possible to

discuss the best of both companies and then ultimately create

a more powerful, innovative and awe-inspiring company.”

“It’s just beginning - we’re looking at all job descriptions to

fi nd the duplicates, then interviewing current employees to

fi nd career interests within new organization…moving some

into new positions and realigning others.”

We posed a question in our Summer Watercooler issue regarding M&A: The New Blended Family. We wanted to know what your organization is doing to help managers in these new roles.

Here are a few of the responses:

“We have established dedicated People Workstreams,

including a Change Management and Engagement team,

populated by members of both entities. This group

is chartered with cultural assessment, design and

implementation of activities (including role modeling,

training and communication activities). Additionally, the

team is working on employee engagement activities.”

“W

T

co

ad ng

The next issue of the newsletter will be published in January 2011

Creating Connections Through Technology

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